Dubai exec in harassment case against British beautician

A Dubai-based executive has had criminal charges brought against a British beauty therapist who harassed him for seven years, including over the internet after he moved to the Middle East, a breach of an earlier restraining order.

British-born Marcus Pepperell, managing director in the FTI Strategic Communications practice in Dubai, recently returned to London to give evidence against beauty therapist and public relations consultant Sukhbir Gill in a London criminal court.

The pair met in the UK seven years ago when Gill contacted Pepperell to discuss one of his clients. She continued to harass him and he was forced to change his contact details and mobile phone numbers and eventually he reported her to police. A restraining order was issued against Gill in 2011.

After Pepperell moved to Dubai, Gill attempted to contact him via email and the professional social networking website LinkedIn.

“I noticed I was getting regular views on my profile. I was anticipating an escalation - that's why I contacted the police,” Pepperell told the court, the Daily Mail newspaper reported.

Gill viewed Pepperell’s LinkedIn account profile on numerous occasions, prompting him to report Gill to the British police for breaking the terms of her restraining order, the court heard.

“She was accused of sending a series of emails and would not stop... Proceedings had to be brought because the defendant would not desist and didn't take ‘no’ for an answer,” prosecutor Edward McKiernan was quoted as saying.

“The problem is that [Pepperell] doesn't know just how obsessed she is becoming and [Pepperell’s] only remedy is to go back to the police.”

When questioned by British police, Gill denied breaching the terms of her restraining order and claimed her LinkedIn account had been hacked into.

The London court convicted Gill with breaking the terms of the restraining order and sentencing in the case will take place on August 30.